The Wizarding World's Forbidden Book Administrator

Chapter 62 Allied Forces Base

The long and narrow terrain of the port city acts as a natural wind tunnel, resulting in consistently strong winds.

The wind whistled through the docks on both sides of the river, like the mournful cries of wronged souls.

Natalie walked towards the gangplank and found a ferryman:

"We want to go to the other side."

The boatman looked up and tugged at the collar of his wool coat:

"Go to the other side? Now?"

"That's right," Natalie nodded.

"I advise you to abandon this idea," the boatman said lazily, leaning against the deck. "Besides, I'm not willing to take the risk."

Bourne stepped forward and asked:

"What happened?"

"Elbowbone Island has been requisitioned by the Combined Fleet and is now a complete naval port. There are no more businessmen there; the entire island is full of soldiers. I don't want to be targeted by those noble gentlemen," the boatman replied lazily.

Natalie and Byrne exchanged a glance, then Natalie spoke:

"We'll pay double."

Upon hearing this, the boatman turned his head sharply, clearly somewhat hesitant.

After a moment's thought, he held up three fingers:

"three times!"

The two sides of the Bone Marrow Harbor are actually not far apart, but it took the boatman thirty minutes to get them across.

His reasoning was that to land undetected, they would have to reach the shore from a shallow area known only to the locals, which would take a considerable amount of time.

Bourne paid the money, and the two set foot on Elbowbone Island, proceeding cautiously upon it.

"Sir, this is dangerous," Bourne suddenly said.

Natalie understood, of course, but she remained silent.

Bourne continued:

"You came here because of that pirate, right? Who is he? Do you have some kind of grudge against him?"

"Yes," Natalie nodded.

"And what is your purpose, sir?" Bourne pressed.

Natalie had to sigh and reply:

I want to help him.

"A pirate is not worth the risk. You are the lord of the Lyons Plateau, my lord. Please think twice."

"I understand perfectly well, Byrne. I know what I'm doing. If you don't want to help me, I won't force you. I'll do it myself."

"Sir, you know I can't just abandon you."

Natalie certainly knew.

Ever since the day Bourne knelt before her, their relationship has undergone a subtle change.

Natalie, who was originally just a responsibility and obsession for Bourne, has now become a master whom Bourne wholeheartedly admires.

Although Natalie disliked Bourne, she had to admit that he was a true knight.

Therefore, she understood that Bourne would surely dedicate everything to his master.

"In that case, then assist me well," Natalie said. "I will reward you."

Byrne lowered his head: "I do not seek any reward. If I must give something, I hope that one day I can see the bloodline of the Lines family once again embraced by the people and nobles of the plateau."

Here we go again, Bourne always does this.

Even though he is not as tough as before, his stubbornness and tenacity remain unchanged.

But if Byrne helped me, Natalie thought, I would owe him a debt of gratitude.

The mermaid was known for repaying kindness, and Natalie couldn't help but wonder how she should repay him afterwards.

But for now, the important matter is more pressing.

Two months had passed since Natalie first heard Henry's intelligence.

Two months is enough time for a lot to happen. Is Henry still safe and sound?

Regardless, the fact that the combined fleet remained in port at least indicates that the pirates were not completely wiped out.

Therefore, the first thing to do is:

"Bourne, we should take control of the current situation."

Bourne stared at Natalie and took a deep breath:

"My lord, do you know that this is the headquarters of the Kingdom's Allied Fleet? From your perspective, it's like the enemy's lair."

"That's right," I'm not stupid enough not to see that.

Then, Natalie noticed that Byrne was looking at her strangely.

I couldn't help but ask:

"Bourne, what are you looking at?"

Byrne flinched, then regained his composure, his expression softening considerably.

"I just think, time flies so fast, sir, it's been a year since we met."

"It's been almost a year and a half, Bourne."

“Yes,” Byrne smiled. “When we met, you were just a child. If you changed your clothes, no one would even be able to tell you were a girl. But now, adult, you are a real adult.”

If the price of becoming an adult is having to endure abdominal pain, Natalie would rather not be an adult.

Natalie's figure as a woman was not as good as her mother's, but she was taller than her mother, which made her very proud.

However: "Bourne, why did you bring this up?"

"Your stubbornness hasn't changed at all," Byrne shrugged.

Natalie pouted: "I'm not just willful."

"Of course, you are more responsible than ninety percent of the girls in the kingdom, but that's how it should be in the Lyons bloodline."

Byrne said,

"My lord, the oath I swore before you that day was sincere. Since you want to save a pirate, although I don't understand, as your knight, I will go through fire and water for you."

These remarks made Natalie feel guilty, and she frowned and said:

"I won't let you help me for nothing."

"Then I only ask that as long as you remember your name as Natalie, you do not forget your surname."

As he spoke, Byrne stepped forward and walked in front of Natalie.

"Alright, let's see what this combined fleet does during the ceasefire."

The two wandered through the camphor forest, the tall trees perfectly concealing their figures.

When they reached the edge of the woods, Bourne gestured for Natalie to hide.

Natalie did as instructed immediately, and only moved closer when Byrne gestured again.

Outside the woods was an open space on the island, which was now filled with tents.

Byrne said, "Sir, you see, judging from the number of tents, there should be more than a thousand soldiers on the island, yet there are more than thirty flags."

"Because this is the combined fleet, Byrne," Natalie reminded him.

"That's right, but that means that for those officers, there are strangers all around them. Therefore, it would be difficult for me to be discovered if I were wearing armor and blended in. Sir, you hide in the woods and I will go and gather intelligence for you."

Natalie understood that this was probably the best decision at the moment, although she wanted to do her part, but her priority was not to interfere with Bourne.

She was about to nod when she suddenly saw several soldiers in the distance:

"Bourne, you see those soldiers!"

Bourne looked up, then frowned:

"Female soldiers? This is the first time I've ever seen one..."

"Find me a set of armor, then I can travel with you!"

However, Byrne hesitated, probably worried about Natalie's safety.

Natalie said, "As a woman, I'm not necessarily safe to be alone in the woods."

"Indeed..." Bourne had to admit. "Then, sir, please hide for now."

Natalie followed the instructions and found a secluded spot to hide.

Shortly afterward, she saw Bourne lead a female soldier into the woods.

Taking advantage of the female soldier's turned back, Bourne used his longsword with a sheath to slash at the back of her neck.

Natalie then appeared, and Byrne said:

"My lord, please put on her armor. I knocked her unconscious; she shouldn't wake up for at least half a day."

Natalie nodded and, with Bourne's help, quickly put on her armor.

In this way, both of them could blend in with the enemy troops.

Walking among the soldiers, Natalie asked:

"Bourne, what should we do next?"

"The lords of the various families are very likely to know each other, so we can't infiltrate the command camp to eavesdrop. We have to find another way... Sir, look over there!"

Bourne suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the crowd gathered not far away.

"What is that?"

"Holding duels during the truce is a bad practice among the kingdom's armies," Byrne said. "And many lords enjoy watching duel performances. Come, miss, perhaps we can hear the information we need there."

Natalie nodded and followed Bourne.

The two squeezed into the crowd, leaving the audience outside the barrier.

The fence was simply made of branches, ropes, and vines, tied together to form a rectangular area.

Only soldiers or knights participating in the tournament were allowed to enter the enclosure and engage in duels according to the rules of the competition.

At this moment, a rope was stretched across the middle of the arena.

There were two mounted soldiers at either end of the rope, holding homemade wooden guns with sandbags attached to their tips.

As the heraldic officer, clad in a coat of arms, gave the order, two soldiers raised their spears and charged forward on horseback.

The audience cheered excitedly and applauded the winner as soon as one of them was stabbed off his horse.

Natalie was engrossed in watching, but Byrne patted her on the shoulder:

"My lord, look over there. Those people have very fine armor and their own seats. If you go over to them, you might be able to hear some valuable information."

Natalie looked across the street, where a row of simple sunshades had been erected. The people sitting inside were wearing rather ornate armor or clothing, and were probably the generals of the Allied Forces.

She nodded and immediately followed Bourne through the crowd.

Soon, the two squeezed to the opposite side and stood on the edge of the sunshade.

At this point, the herald announced the end of today's lancer competition, and that the team duel would begin next.

Natalie and Bourne faced the fighting arena, but their ears were fully focused on what was happening inside the awning.

"Damn it! The finals aren't until tomorrow!"

"That Brenda is definitely the dark horse of the lance competition. Whose subordinate is she?"

"The breastplate bears the emblem of Insole Island, but it doesn't look like a knight's emblem, more like a knight's squire?"

"How about we make a bet? I'll put up five gold coins and bet Brenda will win the championship."

"Get lost, do you think I'm stupid?"

"Don't be a spoilsport; a martial arts contest is only half as fun if you don't place bets."

"It's already a good thing that the tournament can even be held; don't you remember how vehemently Baron Peyton opposed it?"

"It is the Earl of Peyton, who became famous for his role in the Battle of the Hills and was knighted."

"Whether he's a baron or an earl, it's fortunate that he's just an advisor and extraordinary commander, otherwise this martial arts tournament would never have been able to take place."

"Haha, yes, what can we do when our Navy Minister is such a passionate martial arts enthusiast? Look, our Commander Lawrence is personally taking to the stage!"

Hearing this, Natalie glanced sideways at the two people who were speaking and saw one of them pointing to someone who had just appeared in the arena.

Natalie looked in that direction and saw a bald man with a round head, a fleshy face, and an alpophu hairstyle.

Barefoot, with a two-handed wooden mallet slung over his shoulder, his smile was confident and smug.

This person should be the Allied Commander and Naval Minister Lawrence they mentioned.

Lord Lawrence is happy, but the loyal dog is furious.

"Loyal Dog is making a mountain out of a molehill, saying it's inappropriate to hold useless activities that drain the soldiers' energy. Little does he know that after a martial arts tournament, the morale of the army will definitely be high!"

"That's true, but Loyal Dog is no ordinary man. He single-handedly led a hastily assembled hill army to a crushing defeat of the royal guards, demonstrating his extraordinary talent. And last month, he even routed those pirates!"

"But they still managed to escape, didn't they? Don't forget, the two of us are here together precisely to eliminate them completely!"

"Old friend, our opponent is the Black Goat. We are the lords of the port, so we should know how much our port suffered because of this ship seven years ago, when Joachim was still alive! That beast is not easy to catch. If it weren't for the loyal dog's trick, we might not have even touched the goat's tail. At least we intercepted an enemy ship."

"But this time, we're fighting with our own money. The royal family's subsidies aren't even a single copper coin. We're keeping our troops tied up on this island every day. Do you really feel good about that?"

"This time, the coastal nobles have basically responded to Claude's call, so how could you and I not come? Besides, according to the last meeting, this bandit suppression campaign is almost over."

"The prerequisite is that the fleet sent by the loyal dog can find the location where the pirates are hiding."

"The Black Goat is fleeing west. Elbow Horn is the southernmost point of the kingdom, and there is no land to the west. Those pirates will eventually run out of supplies, and they will appear in our sight sooner or later. Moreover, according to Loyal Dog, those pirates should have had six ships, but last time we only saw five. The remaining ship was likely sent to carry out some mission, and they will definitely reunite. Therefore, as long as we seize the middle route, we will definitely be able to catch their trail."

"Even if we find them, those pirates will still escape. Since they managed to break through once, who can guarantee they won't succeed a second time?"

"Don't worry, hasn't the loyal dog already deduced their habit of escaping? He'll personally steer the boat and ambush them on their inevitable route!"

At this moment, cheers erupted from the crowd.

Just now, Lawrence used a wooden hammer to knock a burly man to the ground, and then took down another opponent who tried to provide backup.

He used this to lead his team to victory in the team competition, and now he is raising the wooden hammer high, enjoying the cheers of the crowd.

The two knights who had just been talking were also caught up in the atmosphere and began to praise Lawrence's heroic performance.

After the atmosphere cooled down, they did not continue the previous topic.

Bourne whispered in her ear, "Miss, we shouldn't be hearing any new clues. We should move over."

Natalie nodded and followed Bourne out of the tournament arena.

She then hurriedly asked Bourne, "Bourne, can we help those pirates?"

"I've heard a little about the name 'Loyal Dog,' and judging from the conversation just now, he must be a man whose reputation is well-deserved," Bourne said.

"no way?"

"If he has made thorough preparations and is truly prescient, then even the gods cannot save him," Byrne said, shaking his head.

Natalie said, "I've heard my father tell many stories of battles where the few won against the many."

“Those were mostly siege battles, Lady Natalie,” Byrne replied, “and the disparity in strength wasn’t too great. Judging from the description, the pirates probably still have four to six ships left, but I saw no fewer than sixty warships in the harbor alone…”

"So that's how it is..." Natalie lowered her eyes.

Byrne patted Natalie on the shoulder and said with a smile:

"In any case, let's first determine how many ships the coalition has."

After saying this, Bourne looked around and pointed to a high hill, saying:

"Sir, that seems to be the highest point on the island. From there, we might be able to see all the ships anchored around the island."

Natalie nodded and followed them to the higher ground.

Upon arriving here, the view is indeed expansive.

Natalie then noticed that the sea surrounding Elbowbone Island was densely packed with ships.

The two began counting the items, but suddenly heard a question:

"Who are you people?"

Natalie shivered, turned around, and saw a man.

The man had a serious expression and was wearing olive-colored armor.